The Algerian Civil Protection announced that its teams managed to extinguish 85 out of 153 fires that broke out by eight o'clock yesterday, Thursday evening. The blazing fires resulted in the deaths of 12 people and left 54 others with burns. Jijel Province witnessed the largest number of fires, recording 17 fires still burning, followed by the provinces of El Tarf and Skikda with 10 fires each, then Tizi Ouzou and Guelma with 5 fires per province, and Annaba and Béjaïa with 4 fires each. The Presidency of the Republic announced a three-day national mourning period, starting today, with flags at half-mast and the cancellation of celebrations and national sports competitions, following the casualties caused by the fires that swept through a number of central and eastern provinces.